Locking device for motor-reversing switches.



No. 69I,6|8. Patented lan. 2|, I902.

F. w. GARRETT & E. w. STULL. LOCKING DEVICE FOR MDTUB REVERSING- SWITCHES.

. (Application flled Jun; 28, 1901.)

(N 0 Model.)

WITNESSES 67/4 61% NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK W. GARRETT AND EMMETT W. STULL, OF JOHNSTOWN, PENNSYL- VANIA, ASSIGNORS TO THE LOR-AIN STEEL COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

LOCKING DEVICE FOR MOTOR-REVERSlN-G SWITCHES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 691,618, dated January 21, 1902.

Application filed June 28 1901. Serial lilo. 66,379. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known thatwe, FRANK W. GARRETT and EMMETT W. STULL, of J ohnstown, in the county of Cambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Locking Devices for Motor-Reversing Switches, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which IO form a part of this specification.

Our invention appertains to controllers for electric motors, and more particularly for means for governing the operation of the m otor-reversing switches which form a part of such controllers, although it may be used in connection with other related switches.

Our Object is to provide means of a novel,

simple, and effective character for preventing the reversing-switch from being operated except when the motor-regulating switch is at its open-circuit or off position.

Vith this object in view our invention con sists in the provision of cooperative locking members carried, respectively, by the regulating and reverse switches, the member carried by the reverse-switch having a fixed relation thereto and a corresponding number of locking positions, and the member carried by the regulating-switch having a movement her in such. a manner as to lock the reversing-switch at all times except when the regulating-switch is at its off position.

Our invention also consists in the novel construction, arrangement, and combination of parts,all as hereinafter described,and pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,in which Figure 1 is a plan view of so much of a controller as is necessary to show the application of our invention, and Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

In the figures the letter A designates the shaft of the regulating-switch, and B theshaft of the reversing-switch, the upper bearings for said shafts being shown at a and I), respectively. 4

O is a controller frame or casing.

D is the usual index-plate, and D the ooindependently thereof and so arranged and operated thatitengages the first-named memoperating pawl for determining the running positions of the regulatingswitch'.

E is a plate or disk rigidly secured to the shaft B and having its peripheral edge made up of a number of concave arcs e. The particular reverse-switch shown is of the type described and claimed in the patent to Valley, No. 561,839, dated June 9, 1896, and now well-known commercially, which is provided with additional positions which effect contact combinations and circuit changes whereby either one of the two motors or either group of two motor groups may be removed from circuit and the car run in either direction with the remaining motor or motor group. For this reason the plate or disk E is shown as having a greater number of the arcs 6 than would be necessary with the reversing-switch of that type which has only ahead and back positions.

F is an arm which is loosely sleeved on the shaft A of the regulating-switch and which terminates ina fixed segmental end portion f, whose radius of curvature is very nearly the same as that of the arcs e.

G is a compression-spring which acts upon said arm to normally hold it in the position shown in thedrawings,withits fixedendflying within or partially within one of the arcs c. On the said arm F is a depending lug or projection f, and on the index-plate D is a correspondinglug or projection f The lug or projection f is so placed that when the regulating-switch in its return movement approaches its off position said lug will contact with the lug f, and thereby move the armF to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig.

1 and entirely out of engagement with the plate or disk E. As soon as the regulatingswitch is again turned from its off position 0 the spring throws the arm back to locking engagement withthe plate or disk E. A lip f on the end f of the arm prevents the latter from being moved beyondits locking position by the action of the spring. 5

It Will be plainly seen that when the arm F is in the position shown in full lines on the drawings it is impossible for the reverse-switch to be turned in either direction, since any attempt to move said switch will cause a binding action between the points on the disk E which form the junction between adjacent arcs c and the fixed edge of the arm F. Inasmuch as the said arm is in looking position at all times excepting only when the regulating-switch is at its off position, it is clear that the reversing-switch can only be operated at that time.

It is obvious that the shape of the lockingarm may be varied to suit the relative locks of the two switches in the controller frame or casing or for the purpose of avoiding interference with other attachments or fixtures of the controller; also, that various other changes maybe made in the details of the device without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention. Hence we do not wish to be limited to the exact construction, combination, and arrangement of parts which we have herein shown and described.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patout, is

1. The combination with two electric switches, of cooperating locking members carried thereby, one of said members being fixed with relation to its carrying-switch, and the other member having a limited movement in one direction independently of its carrying-switch, and a similar movement in the opposite direction with the said switch.

2. The combination with two electric switches, of cooperating locking members carried thereby, and arranged to lock one of said switches except at such times as the other is at a predetermined position, a spring tending to hold the said members in looking relations, and means carried by one of said switches for terminating such relations at a certain point in the movement of the lastnamed switch.

In a motor-controller, the combination with a motor-reversing switch, and a lockingplate carried thereby and fixed thereto, of a motor-regulating switch, and an arm loosely carried thereby and arranged to havea locking'engagement with the said plate in all the operative positions of the reversing-switch, and means for moving said arm out of said engagement when the regulating-switch is moved to a predetermined position.

4. In a motor-controller, the combination with a motor-regulating and a motor-reversing switch, of a locking plate or disk fixed to the reversing-switch, an arm loosely sleeved about the shaft of the regulating-switch and adapted to a locking engagement with said plate or disk, a spring acting to move said arm to its locking position, and means on the regulating-switch for moving the arm out of its locking position at a certain point in the movement of the regulating-switch.

5. In a motor-controller, the combination with a motor-regulating and a motor-reversing switch, of alocking member fixed to the reversing-switch and having as many locking positions as the switch has running positions, an arm loosely sleeved about the shaft of the reversing-switch and arranged to engage the said locking member in all its positions to prevent movement of said reversing-switch, means on the regulating-switch arranged to engage said arm and move it out of locking position atacertain point in the movement of the regulating-switch, and a spring for returning said arm to locking position.

6 In a motor-controller, the combination of a motor-regulating and a motor-reversing switch, of a locking plate or disk rigidly secured to the reversing-switch and having a plurality of concavities in its peripheral edge, a swinging arm having an end portion shaped to engage any one of said concavities, means on the regulating-switch arranged to engage said arm and move it out of its locking position, and a spring for actuating said arm in the opposite direction.

7. In a motor-controller, the combination with a motor-regulating and a motor-reversing switch, of the plate or disk fixed to the reversing-switch and havinga plurality of arouate concavities in its peripheral edge, the arm sleeved on the shaft of the regulating-switch and formed with a convex end adapted to lie within orpartially within the said concavities, a spring acting upon said arm to hold itin operative position, and a lug or projection carried by the regulating-switch and arranged to engage said arm to move it away from its operative position.

In testimony whereof we have affixed our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK W. GARRETT. EMMETT \V. STULL.

Witnesses:

OoRA G. Cox, II. W. SMITH. 

